Customers claim San Antonio event center has taken thousands of dollars from families

More than a dozen families say the owner of Andreia Hall & Event Center failed to deliver what was promised.

Author:
Aaron Wright

Published:
12:01 AM CST December 4, 2018

Updated:
12:01 AM CST December 4, 2018

It’s supposed to be day you’ll never forget – a wedding, Quinceañera, or Sweet 16.

These events can costs thousands of dollars and many families in San Antonio are willing to spend that money to give loved ones memories that’ll last a lifetime.

But for more than a dozen families who contacted KENS 5, that dream has been crushed.

On San Antonio’s Northwest side sits an event hall – touted online as a premier stop for your Quinceañera​​​​​​​ or wedding. More than a dozen people told us it’s where they’ve lost thousands of dollars in broken promises.

“I’ve paid him $4,800,” Jose Santos said.

“I feel more bad for my husband because he wanted to put this together for us,” explained Abigail Palacios.

The trouble starts online, with families looking to find a deal on their special event.

These people all found Andreia Hall – advertising flash sales offering food, music, and more all for a bargain price if you book now.

Abigail Palacios said her wedding fell short of what was promised in her contract.

“We spent over $6,000 for our wedding. Our china, we had plastic forks and plastic spoons,” she said.

April Martinez had to leave her party when supplies ran out. “I had to go to Bill Miller’s to buy food for my guests,” she said.

While they didn’t go as planned, these parties did happen. Other families we talked with claimed the owner of Andreia Hall simply took their money failed to fulfill the contract.

“He wanted us to get up before midnight and drop off $500 or he was going to cancel our contract altogether and that’s what happened,” Cathy Guzman said.

In each case, these folks said deposits and payments were kept as the hall claims the client broke contract. This group of customers said that’s not the case. They said it’s a pattern where the hall is finding reasons to break with clients and keep their deposits and payments .

Guzman explained after the Hall canceled her date, she said she found 2 more events were booked for her same exact day. “One of our guests showed up at the hall and there was a party going on full force, with a DJ music and everything,” Guzman said.

Former clients said once things go bad, the owner of the hall quits communicating.

Roberta Zapata said the owner threatened to sue for $10,000 for harassment.

“I got an attorney took him to small claims and I won my judgment. He didn’t show up and I haven’t spoken to him since,” said Amanda Mora. She said she’s still waiting on the payout.

For weeks, we tried to get someone to speak with us about the business. We’ve tried Facebook messages, phone calls, so we were left to come here and see if anybody will talk to us

The location at Loop 410 isn’t the only hall they’re using. We showed up at this location on Bandera, but the place was under renovation. Property managers told us the company was evicted for failure to pay.

It’s the same location that’s supposed to host a wedding reception for Jose Santos in a month.

We aren’t the only people looking into Andreia Hall’s business practices. The Better Business Bureau has been looking into complaints since April.

“Their rating with the BBB is currently an F. They have several unanswered complaints as well," he said.

Wise explains sales must specify the price reduction and how long the deal will last. “It’s outlined in the contract what should be there, and if it’s not, it’s a big issue."

That’s the heart of these customers' complaints. They said promises made were not kept and thousands of dollars were unfairly taken by Andreia Hall with little to no return on what was advertised.

For now, these customers are organizing and filing complaints with the BBB and state Attorney General’s office.

Customers we spoke to have also filed reports with police. However, we are not naming the owner of Andreia Hall as he has not been charged with a crime. We’ll continue reaching out and let you know his response when we get it.